The present invention generally relates to moldable nonwoven materials, and in particular, to moldable nonwoven materials for use in applications having varying requirements in each area of the component.
A nonwoven mat formed of low and high melt polyester fibers can be molded into a form for various components such as automotive headliners. This nonwoven has the advantage of being formable, resilient to treatment in the car manufacturing process, and when combined with a 100% polyester A-surface fabric, recyclable. However, it has been found by the present inventors that the performance of components does not always need to be the same in all areas of the component. Therefore, there is a need for moldable nonwoven materials that can satisfy the varying performance requirements of a component in different zones and reduce the weight and raw material cost of the component.